16,620 Shares in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. $VKTX Purchased by Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC

Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in Viking Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VKTX) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 16,620 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock, valued at approximately $648,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $241,458,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 536.3% in the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 992,695 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $34,923,000 after acquiring an additional 836,686 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Viking Therapeutics by 58.7% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,085,487 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock valued at $54,807,000 after acquiring an additional 771,704 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 41.8% during the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,092,840 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $55,000,000 after purchasing an additional 616,526 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC raised its holdings in Viking Therapeutics by 6,315.6% during the second quarter. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC now owns 596,650 shares of the biotechnology company’s stock worth $15,811,000 after purchasing an additional 587,350 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.03% of the company’s stock.

Viking Therapeutics Trading Down 0.5%

NASDAQ VKTX opened at $33.50 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $35.54 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.41. The company has a market cap of $3.91 billion, a PE ratio of -7.19 and a beta of 0.69. Viking Therapeutics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.96 and a 1 year high of $43.15.

Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ:VKTX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The biotechnology company reported ($1.10) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($1.21) by $0.11. Viking Therapeutics’s revenue for the quarter was up .0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned ($0.58) earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Viking Therapeutics, Inc. will post -4.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Viking Therapeutics

In related news, CFO Greg Zante sold 21,217 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.47, for a total transaction of $710,132.99. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 212,204 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,102,467.88. This trade represents a 9.09% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Brian Lian sold 148,517 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.32, for a total transaction of $4,948,586.44. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,572,441 shares in the company, valued at $85,713,734.12. The trade was a 5.46% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 187,951 shares of company stock valued at $6,268,442. Company insiders own 5.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VKTX has been the subject of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price objective on Viking Therapeutics from $107.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Viking Therapeutics from $75.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Truist Financial began coverage on Viking Therapeutics in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $83.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on shares of Viking Therapeutics in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $89.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Viking Therapeutics presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $96.62.

Viking Therapeutics Company Profile

Viking Therapeutics, Inc is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company’s pipeline leverages small-molecule approaches to target hormone signaling pathways implicated in conditions such as non?alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and muscle wasting disorders.

The company’s lead programs include VK2809, a thyroid hormone receptor?beta agonist designed to reduce liver fat and improve lipid profiles in patients with NASH and dyslipidemia, and VK5211, a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) aimed at enhancing muscle mass and function in individuals with muscle wasting conditions.